Tokyo Olympics: Sania Mirza, Ankita Raina knocked out of doubles tennis in first round

Indian women's tennis pair of Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina was knocked out in the first round after losing 6-0, 6(0)-7(7), 8-10 to Ukraine's Liudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok at Ariake Tennis Park on Sunday. 

Sania and Ankita were leading in the first set with it 6-0, but in the second set, the Ukrainian twin sisters took control and posed challenges in front of the Indian duo. 

However, the second set saw some hope when the Indians drew the first break of the set in the sixth game and were 5-2 up, but the Ukrainians turned the match and returned the break in the decisive ninth game. They went on to take the set to a tie-breaker, which they comfortably won 7-0.

In the final set, nerves got better of the Indian pair as they lost the set 8-10 and they ended up losing the match in one hour and 33 minutes. 

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There was a tough fight in the super tie-breaker but the Kichenok siblings secured the two decisive final points to wrap up the super tie-breaker 10-8 and also the match.

Now, after Sania and Ankita's defeat, Sumit Nagal, who is all set to face world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev of the ROC in the second round, is the only Indian tennis player left competing in Tokyo. 

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India at Tokyo Olympics: 

Indian badminton star and Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu started her campaign with a comfortable 21-7, 21-10 victory over Ksenia Polikarpova of Israel in her first match of Group J of the women’s singles at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday (July 25).

Yesterday, Mirabai Chanu won a silver medal in Weightlifting Women's 49kg category and opened India's medal tally at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. 

Watch her exclusive interview: 

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